A lifelong journey leads to a lifetime of security

Oftentimes, the people we love lead us to the best places and moments of our lives. New discoveries often come from word-of-mouth communication, a powerful tool. Sometimes we discover our favorite restaurants based on a recommendation from a friend, or we discover our new favorite song based on what we hear other people say in passing. Other times, seniors discover their perfect senior living community based on the opinions of their friends, loved ones and neighbors.

For Wayne Kuhner, a resident of Gulf Coast Village, it was his late wife, Katie, who led him to the community. Kuhner’s experience with Gulf Coast Village began in 2019, when he volunteered with Gulf Coast Village’s Pastor Bob Inkenbrandt and helped at the independent living concierge desk. At the time, his wife was a resident of Palmview, Gulf Coast Village’s memory support and assisted living community. Twice a week, Kuhner sat at the front desk of the community and screened staff members for COVID-19 at the peak of the pandemic, which led to lifelong relationships at the Gulf Coast Village community.

For Kuhner, the decision to move to an independent living apartment Gulf Coast Village came easily. He was familiar with the community through his volunteer work and trips to visit his wife at Palmview, which made Gulf Coast Village a natural fit for him. After his wife passed away, his reasons for moving into independent living tied back to one of his defining characteristics – socialization. Kuhner enjoys being around people, but more importantly, he values developing relationships. Before moving into Gulf Coast Village, Kuhner was living with his daughter and son-in-law but was lacking happiness. They recognized that he missed socializing, so the trio decided that moving to Gulf Coast Village would give Kuhner more opportunities to connect with others and participate in social activities.

“When I was living with my son-in-law, he asked, ‘Wayne, what is your passion?’ When he said that, it was like a bright light came on,” said Kuhner. “I said to him, ‘loving other people,’ and we decided that life at Gulf Coast Village would be just the place for me.”

Kuhner has lived in the community for a few months now, and his happiness and pure joy is undeniable. When he’s not teaching Sunday school, Kuhner loves to be around his neighbors, build his own community of friends, and develop and strengthen his relationships with his Gulf Coast Village family.

While some seniors discover their senior living options through their spouses, others discover them through friends. Brenda and Dave Zelt, two Gulf Coast Village residents, had always known about the community during their 25 years of living in Cape Coral, but it wasn’t until very recently that they considered moving into Gulf Coast Village when a friend who lives at the community recently encouraged them to take a big step and move into independent living.

The Zelts decided it was time to have a conversation with one another about senior living. When having the conversation, the couple recalled Gulf Coast Village, which is where their former neighbor moved nearly a decade prior, and they had attended her housewarming party.

“We would come to visit our neighbor frequently, and we could see how happy she was,” said Dave Zelt. “We thought that down the line it might be the place for us, and here we are!”

Similarly to Kuhner, the decision to move to Gulf Coast Village came easily for the Zelts. After first discussing senior living, the couple knew that their hearts were set on the life plan community, and the process began; 24 days after putting their condo on the market, the Zelts were moving into their two-bedroom apartment at Gulf Coast Village.

“Living here is like living on a cruise ship,” said the Zelts. “When our friends call us, they joke, ‘How’s life on the cruise ship today?’ We love it here!”

One aspect of the community they value is the abundance of activities. Both Zelts have their own interests, and they like that Gulf Coast Village grants them the opportunity to participate in enriching activities both together and independently. Dave enjoys going off-site to golf a few days a week, but he also enjoys playing poker with other members of the community and shooting pool. As for Brenda, she enjoys Mahjong and looks forward to water aerobics. Together, the Zelts participate in Wii Bowling, a popular activity among Gulf Coast Village residents, and they frequently play cards with other residents.

The Zelts also were big fans of the community’s promise of a lifetime of care, which was reassuring to them when making such a big decision. As a life plan community, Gulf Coast Village offers its residents access to the full continuum of care on its campus, from independent living all the way to skilled nursing.

Senior living communities are just that – a community. Life plan communities are a great resource for seniors to meet new people, build new memories and unlock a fulfilling future, all while having access to a lifetime of care.